This invention generally relates to refrigeration machines, and more specifically to transport refrigeration machines for conditioning the interior of truck trailer units.
As is well understood in the art, transport refrigeration machines are often secured to a forward wall of a truck trailer unit to cool the interior thereof. Among other favorable considerations, it is usually desirable to minimize the extent to which the refrigeration machine protrudes into the cargo area of the trailer since such protrusion reduces the effective cargo capacity of the trailer. Minimizing or eliminating this protrusion, however, is complicated by a number of factors. Principally, as a practical matter, the extent to which the refrigeration machine as a whole can extend forward of the trailer is limited, for example, by other equipment on or parts of the truck trailer unit, and by the need to allow room forward of the trailer for the truck cab to pivot toward the trailer as the truck turns.
Second, even with many prior art machines which protrude into the trailer cargo space, many of the machine parts are very closely fitted together, and it is practically impossible to eliminate the protrusion of the machine into the trailer cargo space by simply moving the machine elements closer together. Furthermore, typically, many of the parts of transport refrigeration machines are structurally interrelated, for example many components support adjacent elements. It is difficult, and may be practically impossible, to significantly alter the size, shape, strength, or position of a part if that part is used to support a different element.